The national portion
80 scored questions plus 5 unscored pretest questions, in 150 minutes. This is the half that looks like every other state, and it is where the math lives.
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Before you book your seat
How to Pass the Louisiana Real Estate Exam
To pass the Louisiana real estate exam you need a scaled score of 70 on both portions: 80 scored questions in 150 minutes on the national half, and 55 scored questions in 90 minutes on the state half. It costs $81 for both at your first sitting through Pearson VUE. Most people who fail did the coursework. The exam is not testing whether you attended, it is testing whether you can answer 135 questions under a clock, and those are different skills.
Watch it instead
Every number on this page, in 13 minutes
The same figures, the same six reasons people fail, walked through by the instructor who teaches the course these questions come from.
Steven J. Desormeaux · EXCEL School of Real Estate · LREC approved school 9150
135
scored questions
The state portion
55 scored questions plus 5 to 10 pretest questions, in 90 minutes. Louisiana license law and Commission rules. Shorter, and the half most people underprepare for.
What passing means
A scaled score of 70 on each portion, graded separately. Passing one and failing the other is common, and it only costs you the half you missed.
Failing is cheaper than people think. Stalling is not.
If you pass one portion and fail the other, you retake only the half you failed. That is $42 for the national or $39 for the state, not $96 to sit the whole thing again. You get unlimited attempts inside your one year authorization window. So the expensive failure is not a failed portion. It is the candidate who fails once, puts it off, and lets the year run out. Then the coursework has to be redone. Failing only means that you now know what you need to focus on.
Why people fail
Six things that sink first timers.
You studied the course, not the exam
The 90 hours teach you real estate. The exam tests recall under time pressure. Reading your notes again is not practice. Answering questions you have not seen before is.
You never sat one under a clock
150 minutes for 80 questions sounds generous until you have spent nine minutes on one math problem. Take at least one full length practice test timed, start to finish, no pausing.
You treated the state half as the easy half
It is shorter, so people assume it is lighter. It is Louisiana license law and Commission rules, which is exactly the material you cannot reason your way through if you did not memorize it.
The math got you
Proration, commission splits, loan calculations and area problems. It is not hard math, it is unfamiliar math done quickly. Drill the same handful of formulas until they are automatic.
You waited too long after the course
Every week between finishing your hours and sitting the exam costs you recall. The students who pass first time usually book the exam while the material is still fresh.
Studying with one source
We are proud of the content we provide. We are also the first to say you need more than one source to be sure of a passing grade. There are several YouTube channels worth your time, and other practice tests besides ours. Studying from a single source gives you a narrow view of an exam that pulls from a wide one.
Before you sit for the test
What candidates ask me about the exam
Figures below come from the Pearson VUE candidate handbook and were checked on 19 September 2026. Check the handbook before you book, because fees do change.
How many questions are on the Louisiana real estate exam?
The salesperson exam has 135 scored questions in total. The national portion is 80 scored questions in 150 minutes, and the state portion is 55 scored questions in 90 minutes. Both portions also include a small number of unscored pretest questions that do not count toward your result.
What score do you need to pass the Louisiana real estate exam?
A scaled score of 70 on each portion. The two halves are graded separately, so you can pass one and fail the other in the same sitting.
What happens if I fail one portion of the exam?
You retake only the portion you failed, and you have a full year from your authorization to do it. A national retake is $42 and a state retake is $39, rather than $96 to sit both again. You get unlimited attempts inside that one year window.
How much does the Louisiana real estate exam cost?
Sitting both portions together is $81 the first time and $96 if you repeat both. Taken separately, the national portion is $42 and the state portion is $39. That is the exam only, and it is separate from your course, your application and your fingerprinting.
How long should I study before taking the Louisiana real estate exam?
Less time than most people think, as long as it is the right kind of study. Candidates who sit the exam soon after finishing their hours tend to do better than those who spend another month rereading notes. Timed practice questions beat rereading, every time.
Practice beats rereading
Sit one before you sit the real one
The single best predictor of passing is how many unfamiliar questions you have answered under a clock. Our practice tests and flashcards are built for the Louisiana exam, both halves.